Nightmares
by AngelicAlixx
Summary: It has been several weeks since the end of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, and Rookie 9 are all suffering from the aftermath. Bonds are created and they each seek comfort in places they didn't know they needed. Friendships grow and feelings become complicated. (I am not very good at summarizing, but I tried my best! Mostly NaruHina, but will add other pairings along the way.)
1. Chapter 1

"_Ahhhhh!" _Agonized screams can be heard all over. Death and blood flooded her senses. She hears loud thumps as the bodies of her fellow Shinobi fell all around her, one after the other. The battlefield is littered with the bodies of her comrades. But even more than that are those of Madara's white Zetsu army.

Hinata is panting, trying to keep the strange white soldiers at bay. Her eyes are burning, the veins along her temples pulsating with the last bits of remaining chakra in her system.

"_I have to keep going! I can't give up! Naruto-kun needs everyone to keep fighting." _

She peeks over her shoulder at Naruto while dodging incoming kunai from the surrounding enemies. He's exhausted but hasn't given up hope yet, and neither can she. She turns back around to concentrate on her enemies quickly surrounding her.

"KAITEN!" Suddenly she's surrounded by an all too familiar blue chakra.

"Nii-san!" Hinata gasps.

"Are you ok, Hinata-sama?"

"I'm fine! Arigato!" She yelled as she made her way back to Naruto's side.

Suddenly, the giant Ten Tails spins and focuses his attention once again on Naruto. He was too focused on the battle that he doesn't realize what's about to happen. However, Hinata does and just like the fight with Pein, she jumps to Naruto to protect him.

"_I don't have enough chakra left to perform Kaiten. If I could just save Naruto-kun, he can end this war."_

She stares defiantly at Madara, the culprit behind this Kami-forsaken war, ready to sacrifice herself for her beloved. She closes her eyes as the sharp spikes are released. A moment later she hears flesh being pierced, waiting for the excruciating pain that comes with getting impaled by foreign objects.

She's in tears before she even opens her eyes, knowing who has sacrificed himself for both herself and Naruto. Her Nii-san is staring at her, with a pained smile on his face, blood slowly trickling from his mouth, spikes piercing right through his chest.

Naruto is holding him up in an instant. Hinata is left speechless, her cries lodged her in throat with no means of escape. Just as she's about to touch his cheek with her blood-stained hands, his smiling face contorts into a sneer and he snatches her hand in a vice-like grip.

Hinata's breath is caught in her throat at the sound of his voice.

"This is all your fault. I am dying because you were too weak to defend yourself and the village. You are worthless and should be dead instead of me!" he says, in a voice that is not his own.

The battle around her has stopped, and everyone is staring blankly at her.

"All your fault, you were too weak!" The shinobi start chanting in unison. Naruto releases Neji to the ground, and his beautiful, bright blue eyes that she has dreamed of are void of any life.

"You are weak, Hinata. You should be dead instead of Neji," he says, sending shivers down her body. Her whole being is trembling as she stares at her comrades, all staring and chanting.

"I tried!" She cried out. "I have tried to become stronger. I HAVE become stronger. Nii-san, I'm sorry I couldn't save you," She chokes.

"It wasn't enough. I think I will just end your pathetic life for the sake of everyone," Naruto rushes at her and just before his fist makes contact with her heart-

Hinata gasps, clamping a hand over her mouth, swallowing back a sob that she knows would wake the rest of the Hyuuga compound. She looks around, her heartbeat returning to normal once she realizes that she is in the safety of her room and not on the battlefield. But, she can still see her cousin's blood staining her porcelain hands, the smell of rotting flesh and the screams of those that would rather be dead than endure the suffering any longer. She still feels like she's back on that battlefield.

She doesn't realize that she's been crying out loud until she hears a soft, hesitant tap on her bedroom door. Hanabi pokes her head through the door to find Hinata trembling violently in her futon. She slowly made her way toward Hinata, careful not to frighten her. Hinata did not have to remove her hands from her face to know it was her younger sister, as she wrapped her small arms around her. They sat quietly for a short time, both of them still mourning the loss of their older brother, Neji.

"Was it the same dream again, Nee-chan?" Hanabi whispered, after they have both stopped crying.

Hinata trembled in her sister's embrace, trying in vain to keep the tears from slipping.

"Yes, it's the same nightmare."


	2. Chapter 2

"Please, get out of here! I'm begging you!" Bellowed Naruto.

"You'll die Hinata! Don't you understand!"

Hinata began speaking, but Naruto, he wasn't listening. And it wasn't because what she was saying wasn't important to him, but it was the all consuming fear for her safety that overrode all of his senses.

"It's alright Naruto-Kun. You know, I used to often cry and give up," she stated calmly.

"I nearly went the wrong way. But you...you showed me the right way."

Her voice started to fade in and out.

"I..-as...after...you...ting to...overc….you. I wan-...be….wi-...you.

"Hinata, please! I don't understand what you're saying! Just go! RUN!" Naruto screamed until his throat was raw. His blood pounding so hard in his ears, he couldn't understand what she was saying anymore.

"You changed me! Your smile saved me! So I'm not afraid to die protecting you. Because... I love you," Hinata finished with a small smile on her face.

Naruto didn't understand what she was saying, but all he needed to know was that he needed to get up, before it was too late.

But, it was. Hinata went to strike pain with her Twin Lion Fists, and like a leaf blowing in the wind, she was through the air, slamming into the ground. His heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest.

Then HE started speaking, but again, he couldn't hear him. His attention was the bruised and bloody form of Hinata. Then, his worst nightmare came true as Pein pulled out one more of those Kami-forsaken chakra rods.

"NO, NO, NOOO! Don't do this! Your fight is with me, not her!"

But, it was too late. Pein struck Hinata in the chest. And all Naruto could do was watch as her blood soaked into the ground beneath her.

He doesn't know what happens after that, but he then finds himself on a battlefield. He hears kunai striking, but what baffles him the most is the bloody and limp form of Hyuuga Neji in his arms-wooden spikes piercing in places that are fatal, even for the container of the Kyuubi.

"Neji," he whispers. "No, please, not you too. Please, you can't go," he croaks, knowing that it's too late for him to hear his prayer.

He turns to look into the eyes, so similar to his best friend's, only to find them also void of any life.

"Hinata?" He says, almost scared to speak her name.

"It's your fault Naruto,"an eerily voice comes from her. "You should have been stronger. You should have saved him. You can't save anyone!"

"Hinata, I'm sorry! I tried! I tried to save everyone!" He screamed desperately.

"You're too weak!

"_-be," _Naruto hears a mummar in his head.

"I should just end it now," she says, menacingly.

"_Do-be…" _there it is again.

He turns, gently placing Neji's body on the ground, to face Hinata. She's in her family's famous Juuken stance.

"_I should just let her end it. I am nothing but a failure," _he thinks.

Hinata is about to stri-

"DOBE, wake the hell up!" Sasuke is standing next to Naruto's hospital bed, his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"About damn time, Dobe. You've been sleep talking the last hour," he said.

Naruto looks up at Sasuke's face, his eye severely bruised, but not completely closed like it was a couple of days ago.

"W-what…"he couldn't finish his sentence, his throat too dry. He brings his hand up to his face, and wipes at his eyes.

"_I was crying," _he thought.

"It's happening again, isn't it?" Sasuke stated, before Naruto even had the chance to explain.

"Y-yea," Naruto croaks out. "It's the fucking _nightmares _again."


	3. Chapter 3

Hinata woke a few hours later, with Hanabi cuddled into her side. She smiled down at her sleeping sister's form, grateful for the new relationship that has grown between them. Deciding to get an earlier start on her otherwise busy day, Hinata slipped out of bed without disturbing her sister. She took a cold shower, attempting to shock her body awake. These recurring nightmares were starting to take its toll and were becoming rather troublesome. After dressing, she decided to wake Hanabi. She found her in the center of her bed, arms and legs spread out wide, with a small snore coming from her petite self.

Hinata could not help but giggle, and at that precise moment, Hanabi began to stir.

"Hanabi," she whispered, trying her best to wake her sister. "Ha-na-biiiii."

"Five more minutes, Oneechaaaannn," she complained, turning her back to Hinata. "Plus, it's still too early."

"Hanabi, there are lots of things to get done today. And your Oneechan would really appreciate all the help she could get from her Imouto," Hinata giggled, hoping she sounded convincing enough.

"Ugh, fine. But you owe me," she said while sitting up in bed.

Hinata could no longer contain her laughter, staring at her Imouto's unruly hair—some strands standing straight up, some plastered to her forehead. It was a sight to behold of the noble Hyuuga Hanabi.

* * *

As Hanabi made her way to her own bathroom, Hinata made her way to the kitchen. She had so many things to do today. She wanted to cook some treats to drop by the local orphanage, wanted to see if there was anything the village needed for the rebuilding, stop by the hospital to talk with Sakura and Tsunade-sama about some clinical training and she had planned something small for N—

"Could I help you with something, Hinata-sama?" Ko asked, interrupting her train of thought.

"Thank you, Ko. I would appreciate another set of hands."

"It is my pleasure, Hinata-sama. What do you need me to do?" Ko asked.

* * *

Hanabi made her way to the kitchen, following the decadent smells that was making its way through the whole compound. She stepped in and found her and Ko elbow-deep and fully concentrated on their task. It looked like breakfast was ready and she didn't even know she was hungry until her stomach made the announcement. Hinata and Ko stopped what they were doing and stared at Hanabi.

"What?" Hanabi mused. "I didn't eat much yesterday with everything going on."

Hinata and Ko looked at each other and burst into laughter. Hanabi ignored them and made her way to the small table, where breakfast was laid out.

"What do you need help with today? You sure are cooking a lot. And is there something baking in the oven?" She asked, curious as to what her sister has in store today.

"Well I'm making some treats to drop by the orphanage and I'm stopping by the hospital too. I wanted to see about a short apprenticeship with Sakura-san and Tsunade-sama," she stated, while taking something out of the oven.

"Are you sure you're stopping by the hospital just for that? I hear a certain 'knuckle-head' will be getting released soon," Hanabi teased, waiting for her sister's reaction on mentioning said blonde.

Hinata stopped just for a moment, eyes wide, as a slight blush rose to her cheeks. She thought she had outgrown these sorts of reactions. But it turned out, she hadn't, not one bit.

"I will be stopping by to see Naruto-kun and Uchiha-san also. They have been in the hospital all this time and I haven't gotten the chance to properly visit them," she explained, trying to keep her traitorous cheeks from blushing any further.

"Mm-hmm, sure. Whatever you say Oneechan," Hanabi mused. She loved to tease her sister—ever since she found out about her not-so-secret crush on Naruto. At that moment, Hanabi saw two bento boxes wrapped up at the end of the counter. Her sister sure was busy this morning. She was about to tease her some more, until their father walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Hinata, Hanabi, Ko," Hiashi greeted as he walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, otousan!" Hinata and Hanabi greeted in unison.

"Good morning Hyuuga-sama," Ko bowed.

"We are just about ready to eat, otousan. Have a seat while I prepare the tea," Hinata said while getting the tea ready.

Hinata placed the tea at the table and poured Hanabi and her father a cup.

"I have some rather important news to discuss with you before you leave this morning, Hinata. It is about your position in the clan," Hiashi said. He observed her reaction, and for a moment, he noticed panic and she quickly covered it up with the ever stoic Hyuuga persona. He took a sip from his tea, attempting to cover the slight smile that formed on his lips.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Hinata and her sister were walking the streets of Konoha, with three baskets and two bentos in tow.

"Can you believe it, Oneechan! You are going to be the clan heiress again!" Hanabi exclaimed, full of excitement and proud of how far her sister has become.

"I know. I am actually in a little bit of shock, honestly. To think that the efforts both Niichan and I put throughout the years actually worked," Hinata breathed out, still in amazement of what has just transpired.

"I know, and to think that they have slowly been removing the seals of the branch members for weeks now, and we only just found out," Hanabi pouted, a little irked that her father waited so long to tell them.

"Well, there has been a lot going on lately. The rebuilding, the succession of Kakashi-sensei to Hokage, the search for missing shinobi, and with Niisan and all," she finished the last statement softly. It was still a sore topic for her to talk about.

"I know, I know."

They continued on through the village, assisting as they could along the way to the orphanage. They helped some builders find the weak points in the foundations of some buildings, found a puppy that somehow got stuck under the rubble. Kida would be proud that they got it safe and sound. Hinata was even able to provide some healing ointment to some of the construction workers.

"Nata-chan! Nabi-chan!" She heard several children squeal.

"Ohayō!" Hinata and Hanabi greeted in unison, reaching the gate surrounding the orphanage.

"Hanabi-chan and I made some goodies for all you," Hinata said, while smiling at all the small faces.

"Thank you so much for stopping by, Hinata-sama, Hanabi-sama. The children always look forward to seeing you both," said Mayumi. She was in charge of the orphanage and took care of all of the children there. Luckily for her, Hinata had been volunteering there for years and has truly helped Mayumi with the children.

Because of the war, many of the children lost their parents and the orphanages were being overcrowded. Hinata made it her mission to visit a couple of times a week to play with the children, sometimes bringing with her baked goods, or supplies that were needed from the village market. Before the war, in any spare time she managed to have, she would also knit clothing for the children that were outgrowing them. The smiles that came on their faces warmed her heart. She wanted to make sure that all of the children felt wanted, safe and loved. After the life Naruto had, she wanted to make sure that no other child suffered from loneliness like he did.

After a short time, they said their goodbyes.

"Thank you again for stopping by. The children really enjoy their time with you."

"It is no trouble at all, Mayumi-san. I have to ask though, I didn't see a few of them today."

"Oh yes! I have actually had some children be adopted in the last few days! Mostly couples that have not been able to conceive, but nonetheless, they are still being adopted," Mayumi explained, with excitement evident in her voice.

"That is just wonderful news to hear, Mayumi-san. I am so happy that so many children are finding good homes," Hinata said, her voice cracking a bit. She quickly averted her face, trying to contain her emotions. She wiped at the tear that had collected at the corner of her eye.

"Are you okay, Oneechan?" Hanabi whispered to her sister once Mayumi went to tend to the children.

"I am just so happy, Hanabi-chan," Hinata whispered, staring at the children playing in front of the orphanage. She was not able to do much for the children in terms of getting them adopted, but it warmed her heart that some are finally getting the family that everyone deserves.

Hanabi stared at her sister, in awe of what she was able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. She developed and enhanced the clan's Juken, she fought on the front lines during the war, she saved Naruto, she changed our clan's traditions, and now she is helping orphaned children. If she can be half the person that Hinata is, she would be happy.

"We should get going, Hanabi-chan. I have a couple of more spots to go," she said, making her way to the children to say goodbye.

* * *

Hinata and Hanabi made their way to the hospital together, stopped a couple of times to greet those rebuilding their lives. She can still see the devastation the war caused on the lives in Konoha. But, they were strong–a village that never stays down when it falls.

They arrived at the hospital and made their way to Sakura's office. Since the end of the war, Sakura has been a constant presence in the hospital, usually dealing with the most difficult of cases. Being the student of Lady Tsunade–and actually almost surpassing her–she was basically running the hospital, with the trusted help of Shizune, of course.

"Hinata, Hanabi! Good morning! You ladies are here early. I almost have the conference room set up if you're here for that," Sakura smiled.

"Good morning, Sakura-san. Thank you for letting me do this. I didn't know where or when we would all be together again, so I figured this was the best place," Hinata started. "I actually had a question about an apprenticeship."

"Yea, tell me a little more what you have in mind," Sakura said, not very surprised by her request.

* * *

A few minutes later, Hinata made her way to the room she's been looking forward to going to all morning. She stopped in front of the door and pressed her fingers to her lips, trying to contain the giggle that was threatening to burst out of her. On the other side of the door, she can hear Naruto speaking, rather loudly, to his roommate, Uchiha Sasuke. He was complaining about how the Uchiha was cheating at the card game they were currently playing. Collecting herself, she tapped lightly on the door, hearing a simultaneous "Come in" and "Hn."

"Ohayo, Uchiha-san, Naturo-kun. It's been awhile," she greeted softly.

"Hinata!" Naruto jumped off Sasuke's bed and barreled toward Hinata, wrapping her in a bear hug-well half a bear hug.

"Hey, hands off my sister you perv," Hanabi says behind Hinata, causing a flush to rise to Hinata's cheeks.

"Hey, it's not like that squirt! I just haven't seen Hinata in a long time!" He tries to defend himself, with no luck against Hanabi.

"Yea, yea whatever, just don't do it again."

"Hanabi!" Hinata whispers to her, desperately pleading with Hanabi to stop embarrassing her -and secretly wanting Naruto to do that every time they saw each other.

He quickly let her go, rubbing the back of his head in his usual manner, except this time, there was a slight blush on his whiskered cheeks.

"Sorry Hinata! I swear I wasn't trying to do anything. It's just been so long since I've seen you. Everyone is still recovering and haven't visited. I only have this teme here for entertainment."

"Hn," was all the response from Sasuke.

"No worries Naruto-kun. I know you're not like that. Hanabi here is just teasing," she said, at the same time pinching her sister.

"Ow! Fine! Sorry, knucklehead."

She was pinched again.

"Alright. Sorry Naruto," she said begrudgingly, giving her sister the evil eye for pinching her so hard.

"No worries, Hanabi. Say, what do you have there. It sure smells good."

"I made you and Uchiha-san some bentos, if you would like some now. I know the hospital food can be a little bland at times and thought this would cheer you guys up a bit," Hinata explained.

She began to unwrap the bento boxes and placed one in front of Sasuke. He only stared at it until Hinata opened it.

"I know it's too early for soup, but Sakura-san said that you love tomatoes, so she gave me a good receipt for a soup that she thought you would enjoy," she said quietly. Sasuke was a little taken aback, but could not resist the urge to drown in the soup. It was the most delightful thing that he has smelled in a very long time.

"Sasuke," the Uchiha said. Hinata looked on, a little confused. "You can call me Sasuke," clearing up the confusion. He stopped talking and dove into the soup.

"Teme, don't be rude and forget to thank her. She went through all that trouble," Naruto said, about to knock the spoon out of Sasuke's hand, until he froze from the murderous stare that Sasuke had directed at him.

"It's ok Naruto-kun. I am sure that Sasuke-san appreciates the meal," Hinata said, trying to deescalate the situation.

"Hn."

"Why don't you try your food Naruto-kun," she said.

She opened his bento and the smell of ramen slammed into his face. His mouth began watering even before he took a bite. But then, his spirit deflated a little.

"W-what's the matter? I thought you were always in the mood for ramen. I even got the receipt from Ayame-san to make it just how you like it," Hinata said, a little confused on Naruto's demeanor.

"Yea, it smells just like the old man's, but there are vegetables in it."

Hinata couldn't contain herself, she smiled, then started her giggle all over again. Hanabi joined in also.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked, confused by their behavior.

"Can you at least try it, please? I promise that if you don't like it with the vegetables, I will treat you to ramen for a week," Hinata negotiated.

"Hm, fine. But prepare that wallet of yours, Hinata. I can eat A LOT of ramen," he emphasized, looking forward to winning free ramen.

He was about to reach for his chopsticks, but he was still not accustomed to not having a limb. He reached with his left hand and attempted to get some of the noodles and vegetables, but failed miserably. Hinata watched on as he struggled and could not handle it anymore.

"I am sorry Naruto-kun. I am so thoughtless. I should have known that you would not be accustomed to your current situation." She gently grabbed the chopsticks out of Naruto's hand. With some food, she puckered her lips and blew on noodles and vegetables softy and lifted it towards Naruto's mouth.

He was sort of in awe with the whole situation. He stared at her through the whole process, observed every minute movement she made since grabbing the chopsticks. The way she blew on the noodles to cool them down, the way she held the chopsticks in her gentle hands.

"Hehe...Hinata, it's ok. I can definitely manage, believe it! You don't have to do that," he tried to argue, scratching the back of his head in that nervous habit he always had. However, the seriousness in her expression said otherwise.

"Naruto-kun is still recovering and are not used to eating with your left hand. This is the least I can do for you," she insisted. Naruto has never seen her this serious, unless it had to do with a mission. He blushed and then gulped before taking a bite of the food. He chewed slowly, still staring at Hinata. She was also staring at him, with those big, round light lavender eyes, the flush that she wears regularly on her cheeks.

"_I just fed Naruto-kun! I have to stay in control or I'll faint like in the academy days!" _Hinata thought, giving her all not to faint right there on Naruto's bed.

"_Why have I never noticed how...cute Hinata is?"_

He stopped his train of thought at the sound of her voice.

"...like it," she said.

"Huh?"

"She asked if you like the food, dobe," Sasuke finally spoke, sick of the face that Naruto had.

"Oh," Naruto quickly recovered. "Looks like you saved yourself this time, Hinata. Your ramen might actually be better than the old man's." He rubbed the back of his head again.

"Really? You like it?" She said, surprised.

"_What an idiot," _both Hanabi and Sasuke thought at the same time.

Hinata continued feeding Naruto his ramen until he was finished.

"Wow, Hinata. That really was some great ramen. You've always been such a good cook."

She blushed at his compliment as she put away the bento, reminiscing on the other times that she's cooked for Naruto.

"Did you enjoy your food also Sasuke-san?"

"Yes I enjoyed it. Thank you, Hyuuga-san," Sasuke replied.

"Please, call me Hinata," overjoyed that Sasuke also enjoyed her cooking. He nodded in agreement.

They all sat in Naruto's room for a while, listening to his stories from the last few weeks. They were mostly complaints about how horrible the food was and how Sakura won't let them out of their rooms unless it's for an examination. Both Naruto and Sasuke agreed that they felt almost 100% better, albeit, they are each missing a limb and still had a swollen and black eye. But Naruto didn't care, and neither did Sasuke. They just wanted out of these four walls.

"I heard that Tsunade-sama and Sakura-san are working on prosthetics for the both of you. So that has to be exciting," Hinata commented, attempting to make them feel better.

"I know! They said that it could take a while still, but it's gonna be just like never losing my arm!" Naruto couldn't contain his excitement on the prospect.

"Yes I am sure that they will do an amazing job, Naruto-kun."

Naruto smiled at Hinata in return. He missed having his friends around. Don't get him wrong, he loved being able to hang out with Sasuke after so long, but the teme is so...anti-social, it's annoying.

"So have you heard from everyone else? Is Shino or Kiba back home yet? I know that depending on the severity of the injuries, you were sent to a different village to recovery," Nartuo asked, curious to know how everyone has been.

"Um, I am not too sure Naruto-kun. I know that many had very minor injuries, but I have not had the opportunity to check up on them," Hinata averted her gaze just slightly, enough for Sasuke and Hanabi to notice. Little did they know, Hinata knew that everyone was back in the village as of a week ago. She just didn't want to let him know that quite yet.

"But Hinata, wasn't Ki—"

"Hello Naruto, Sasuke-kun," Sakura walked into their hospital room, interrupting Hanabi mid-sentence.

"We have another round of testing before I can officially begin the discharge process," Sakura said while looking at their charts.

"Finally!" Naruto and Sasuke said at the same time, the latter with more exasperation.

Hinata and Hanabi said their goodbyes and made their way out.

"Ok, we have one more test and I'll start the paperwork. You can actually get dressed in your civilian clothes and we can head to the examination room. I hope you guys don't mind what I picked out for you. There is only so much to choose from since the clothing stores aren't fully rebuilt yet," she looked shyly at Sasuke, hoping to get his approval on the clothes she picked out. She managed to get some clothing from the Uchiha district in his size. She also had her mother stitch the Uzumaki clan symbol on Naruto's t-shirt.

"Hn," Sasuke responded in his usual manner. She blushed as he looked at Sakura and an upward twitch of his lip confirmed his approval.

"Wow! Thanks so much, Sakura-chan! It's perfect. But I would have appreciated more orange, you know," Naruto teased her while looking at his t-shirt with an orange symbol of his clan.

"Ow! What was that for?" Naruto exclaimed while rubbing the knot that formed on his head from Sakura's punch.

"Be grateful you jerk. My mother took a lot of time and effort on those!"

"Hehehe!"

"Alright, if you guys want to be out of this hospital by the end of the day today, we have to get this last exam going, understood. So get changed and meet at room 100 at the end of this hall."

She walked out and left the heroes to get changed.

"Man, I can't wait to be back at home. This hospital room is so stuffy. And you as a roommate made me bored out of my mind, you know," Naruto teased.

Sasuke just looked at him, a vein on his forehead pulsating with irritation.

"Hey teme, where you staying after leaving here? My apartments kinda small but you can sleep on the couch," her offered, knowing Sasuke doesn't have a lot of options.

The question actually caught the last Uchiha off guard. He really didn't think that far ahead. If he was honest, he thought he was going to end up in jail after leaving Konoha all those years back, and not to mention attacking the Kage during the Kage Summit, and trying to kill them after defeating Kaguya, and trying to kill Naruto...I guess it's best not to bring all that up right now.

"I haven't thought that far ahead. I will probably stay at the Uchiha compound for now," he answered after a few moments.

Naruto nodded solemnly, attempting to hide his disappointment. He was kind of hoping he would stay at his place. He was actually being a little selfish. He wanted him around to keep him distracted. The nightmares that have been plaguing him since the end of the war are becoming exhausting and he's not sure how he's going to handle them on his own. Sasuke sensed his change and thought back to his own nightmares. Maybe he should stay with Naruto, even for just a little while, until he can get a grip on his personal issues.

"We should get going. You know if we're too late, she'll keep us in here for another week," Sasuke finally broke the silence.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hinata and Hanabi made their way down the hall. Hanabi looked at her sister questioningly.

"You will see," Hinata simply said. She opened the door to the last room at the end of the hall and smiled at the sight inside.

* * *

After several minutes of struggling, Naruto and Sasuke made their way to room 100.

"Man, I cannot wait to get out of this place. I don't understand how Sakura could be here all of the time."

"She's one of the top medic-nins in all of the Hidden Villages. Of course she's going to be here all the time," Sasuke retorted.

"Yea but she needs a break once in a while, y'know!"

They reached room 100. Naruto hesitated a moment, sensing a few familiar chakras. He would have never guessed what would have happened when he opened that door.

**Author's Note:**

**I finally published the next chapter. It took forever but I DID IT! I really don't have a writing process, I just write out what comes to mind and that's why it took sooooo long. And this chapter is SIGNIFICANTLY longer that the previous. I could not figure out at which part I should just stop and start a new chapter. But anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I already have the next one underway. Please, leave reviews and let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

POP! POP! POP!

"SURPRISE!" The room full of his friends exploded in unison, several poppers and streamers sounded off and flew passed Naruto's head, some landing on his shoulder and head haphazardly. He stared at the smiling faces of Sakura, Sai, Lee, Gai-sensei,Ten-Ten, Choji, Ino, Shikamaru, Iruka-sensei, the eye smile of Kakashi, the drunken smile of Tsuande. Even Hanabi was there. He scanned the room quickly and found Kiba and Shino, and in between the two of them stood Hinata, with the brightest smile he had ever seen, graceful on her face. The group opened a path for her to walk through, while carefully carrying a cake with several candles.

"Happy belated Naruto!" Everyone exclaimed.

"We did not get the chance to truly celebrate the end of the war altogether," Sakura started.

"Especially, since so many were outside of the village recovering from injuries," Tsuande slurred.

"Sorry we didn't visit earlier," Choji chimed in, sounding almost guilty.

"So, this is a celebration of the end of the war, Naruto-kun's and Sasuke-san's full recovery, and your birthday," Hinata stated lastly, a slight blush creeping on her face.

For the first time, in probably his entire life, Naruto was at a loss for words. He quickly wiped at his eyes and started laughing. The last thing he wanted to do was look like a huge cry baby in front of all of his friends. But his heart felt so full, ready to burst with all the emotions flowing within.

"Thank you so much everyone!" He finally said, his voice cracking just a bit with the weight of the emotions he was feeling.

He took a small step forward to blow out his candles. As he blew them out, everyone cheered and stepped back to let Hinata pass one more time.

"_How cute!" _Hinata thought to herself as he blew out his candles, causing another slight blush as she made her way through the crowd.

Hinata took the cake back to the table and began cutting it, distributing a piece of cake for all of her friends.

Naruto made his way farther into the room to let Sasuke in behind him.

"Did you know about this, Sasuke?" Naruto questioned his hospital mate.

"Hn,"was his reply, which didn't help much.

He looked around and found a banner with 'Congratulations' written neatly across. He came across a table full of finger foods and drinks. He stood to the side, watching everyone talk to each other animatedly. He was relieved— glad that all of his friends were safe and sound. He just wished that Neji—

"I have your piece of cake, Naruto-kun. Would you like some help?" Hinata asked, cake in hand,disrupting his thoughts.

He chuckled nervously while scratching his cheek. "Only if you don't mind, Hinata. Since you already fed me early, I don't want to be a burden."

"Naruto-kun will never be a burden," she smiled up at him, a piece of cake ready for him to take.

"This is delicious!" he said with a full mouthful. "Who made it?"

"Hinata did!" Hanabi chimed in.

"She also made all of this food too,"Choji added, while stuffing his mouth again.

"She actually planned the whole thing," Sakura stated matter-of-factly, throwing a slight smirk Hinata's direction.

"_Sakura! You promised you wouldn't say anything. This was supposed to be a collective effort,"_ Hinata began to panic. She did not want to be the center of everyone's attention nor take credit for the celebration.

"It's no t-t-trouble a-a-at all, I-I promise. I j-just thought that it was such a long time s-s-since we had the chance to all be together and ha-happy that we could all use this time to celebrate," she tried to defend her actions, cursing her stutter.

"Wow, Hinata. You really are kind! Thank you!" Naruto said happily. This is the best time he has had in a long time.

The celebration continued for a couple of hours, everyone enjoying each other's company, telling stories of their time outside of the village recovering.

Tsunade was the first to leave, along with Shikamaru. She left, grumbling about stupid paperwork. After that, everyone slowly made their way out of the room.

"Naruto, who are you staying with after you leave the hospital?" Sakura asked.

"What do you mean, Sakura-chan? I'm going back to my apartment! I never missed that place more,"he said, looking forward to be anywhere that's not the hospital.

"You can't stay by yourself. That's one of the conditions of your discharge. You are going to be having trouble doing simple daily tasks and you will need someone there all of the time,"Sakura stated, dumbfounding Naruto. "And I know that the both of you are still dealing with the phantom pains, even though you say you aren't."

Naruto and Sasuke both looked away, slightly sheepish. They had hoped that she would not have noticed their white lie, not wanting to worry her.

"I am staying with Sakura," Sasuke stated nonchalantly.

"Hm," Sakura nodded, blushing slightly. They had talked about it after the surprise, deciding it would be better that he stay outside of the Uchiha compound for a little while until he decides what to do with it. And with Sakura being a medic, she would be able to help him with the pain at night.

"I already discussed it with Tsunade-sama. I will not be taking too many shifts, only coming in to work on your new prosthetics," she said.

Naruto was a little disappointed, hoping that Sasuke would stay with him, even just temporarily. He was the only one who understood the nightmares plaguing him at night.

Sakura turned to the side, at the sound of plates being thrown in the trash and had a brilliant idea.

"Why don't you stay with Hinata?" she suggested, loud enough for Hinata to hear.

Hinata stopped what she was doing— Naruto and her staring at each other with surprise and concern in both their eyes.

"_Naruto-kun...in the Hyuuga compound. Naruto-kun...sleeping in the Hyuuga compound. Naruto-kun…in night clothes!" _Hinata thought, her regular blush brightened by the idea of Naruto having an extended stay at her home.

"I can't do that to Hinata! She has done so much for me already!" He defended, not wanting to intrude.

"But Hinata has the Byakugan and can help deal with the phantom pains. It has been studied that they can originate from the spinal cord. And she can see that and implement basic medical ninjutstu to alleviate it,"Sakura said, hoping to convince them. "And this is the perfect opportunity for you to practice what we talked about earlier, Hinata."

"_I can't stay with Hinata. I don't want to trouble her more than I already have," _Naruto thought, trying to find a good excuse to not stay with her.

"_Naruto-kun needs help. And Sakura-san is right! I need to help Naruto-kun with whatever I can!" _Hinata thought, determination etched on her face.

"He can stay!" Hinata exclaimed abruptly.

Sakura smiled at Hinata with some gratitude. She was truly concerned about Naruto and his well-being, and she also figured this would be the best way for the two of them to spend some time together. Maybe this way, Hinata would build up the courage to confess, and Naruto would, by Kami's will, be able to see the feelings she has for him.

"_He's so dense, I hope he figures it out!" _Sakura thought to herself.

"Hinata, are you sure? I don't want to intrude. I can definitely handle this on my own, believe it!"

She shook her head vehemently, she would do this, for Naruto. It was the least she could do for him, he saved her in more ways than one.

"It will be fine, Naruto-kun. My family would be more than welcoming, I'm sure of it," Hinata insisted, smiling at him reassuringly. "Hanabi-chan, could you go back home and inform father of the situation. And have Ko prepare a room for Naruto-kun to stay in, please. I will finish tidying up here."

Hanabi nodded and left for the Hyuuga compound.

"It is settled then!" Sakura smiled sweetly at Naruto and sent what looked like a smirk at Hinata.

"Ok Hinata, but only for a little while. You have done too much for me already." Naruto looked at Hinata, grateful to have a friend like her.

"It's no trouble at all, Naruto-kun. Maybe we can go by your apartment and pick up some of your things, to make you feel a little more at home at the compound," she suggested.

"Yea! Good idea Hinata!"

Sasuke and Sakura were on the other side of the room, picking up some plates.

"You really think that's going to work with that blockhead?" Sasuke questioned.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Sasuke-kun. I just figured that Naruto needed a place so stay, and Hinata needed someone to practice her medical ninjutsu on,"she turned to Sasuke and batted her eyes at him innocently. He smirked at her antics, knowing exactly what she was doing.

The four of them quickly cleaned up the conference room and made their way back to their hospital room to finish up their discharge.

"Ok you two. I know that you think that you are all better because you are getting discharged, but that is not the case at all." Sakura was back to her doctor persona, which was always so scary. "You are still very low on chakra, so no training! Only light stretches and exercise and basic katas, got it!"

"Got it!" The boys both answered in unison.

"_She's so scary," _the boys thought.

Hinata giggled in the corner of the room. "Do no worry Sakura-san. I will make sure that Naruto-kun takes it easy while at the compound."

"Hm, good. Thank you Hinata. You guys are all set to go."

"Finally!" The boys whispered together, ready to leave the hospital after what felt like years.

"Um, Naruto-kun. Do you mind stopping somewhere before we leave?"

Naruto mirrored her sad expression and knew where she wanted to go. He has not been able to leave his room this whole time and this would be the first time he would be able to visit.

They made their way to a secluded and secure area of the hospital. The Hyuuga guard on duty looked their way and bowed slightly.

"Hinata-sama, Uzumaki-san, hello. Hokage-sama is in there right now, if you would like to step in," Hyuuga Haru stated.

"Thank you Haru-san," Hinata bowed slightly in thanks for his constant vigilance and knocked softly, letting their presence be known to those in the room.

The window was slightly ajar, letting in the cool night breeze. Monitors were beeping steadily showing signs of life. Tsuande was just finishing her routine check up, sighing in slight exasperation.

"I thought you would be by to come visit as soon as you were discharged." Tsuande smiled at Naruto knowingly. "No changes unfortunately."

Hinata and Naruto both nodded, acknowledging that they heard her, but their focus was on the still figure on hospital bed.

The still figure of Hyuuga Neji.

POP! POP! POP!

"SURPRISE!" The room full of his friends exploded in unison, several poppers and streamers sounded off and flew passed Naruto's head, some landing on his shoulder and head haphazardly. He stared at the smiling faces of Sakura, Sai, Lee, Gai-sensei,Ten-Ten, Choji, Ino, Shikamaru, Iruka-sensei, the eye smile of Kakashi, the drunken smile of Tsuande. Even Hanabi was there. He scanned the room quickly and found Kiba and Shino, and in between the two of them stood Hinata, with the brightest smile he had ever seen, graceful on her face. The group opened a path for her to walk through, while carefully carrying a cake with several candles.

"Happy belated Naruto!" Everyone exclaimed.

"We did not get the chance to truly celebrate the end of the war altogether," Sakura started.

"Especially, since so many were outside of the village recovering from injuries," Tsuande slurred.

"Sorry we didn't visit earlier," Choji chimed in, sounding almost guilty.

"So, this is a celebration of the end of the war, Naruto-kun's and Sasuke-san's full recovery, and your birthday," Hinata stated lastly, a slight blush creeping on her face.

For the first time, in probably his entire life, Naruto was at a loss for words. He quickly wiped at his eyes and started laughing. The last thing he wanted to do was look like a huge cry baby in front of all of his friends. But his heart felt so full, ready to burst with all the emotions flowing within.

"Thank you so much everyone!" He finally said, his voice cracking just a bit with the weight of the emotions he was feeling.

He took a small step forward to blow out his candles. As he blew them out, everyone cheered and stepped back to let Hinata pass one more time.

"_How cute!" _Hinata thought to herself as he blew out his candles, causing another slight blush as she made her way through the crowd.

Hinata took the cake back to the table and began cutting it, distributing a piece of cake for all of her friends.

Naruto made his way farther into the room to let Sasuke in behind him.

"Did you know about this, Sasuke?" Naruto questioned his hospital mate.

"Hn,"was his reply, which didn't help much.

He looked around and found a banner with 'Congratulations' written neatly across. He came across a table full of finger foods and drinks. He stood to the side, watching everyone talk to each other animatedly. He was relieved— glad that all of his friends were safe and sound. He just wished that Neji—

"I have your piece of cake, Naruto-kun. Would you like some help?" Hinata asked, cake in hand,disrupting his thoughts.

He chuckled nervously while scratching his cheek. "Only if you don't mind, Hinata. Since you already fed me early, I don't want to be a burden."

"Naruto-kun will never be a burden," she smiled up at him, a piece of cake ready for him to take.

"This is delicious!" he said with a full mouthful. "Who made it?"

"Hinata did!" Hanabi chimed in.

"She also made all of this food too,"Choji added, while stuffing his mouth again.

"She actually planned the whole thing," Sakura stated matter-of-factly, throwing a slight smirk Hinata's direction.

"_Sakura! You promised you wouldn't say anything. This was supposed to be a collective effort,"_ Hinata began to panic. She did not want to be the center of everyone's attention nor take credit for the celebration.

"It's no t-t-trouble a-a-at all, I-I promise. I j-just thought that it was such a long time s-s-since we had the chance to all be together and ha-happy that we could all use this time to celebrate," she tried to defend her actions, cursing her stutter.

"Wow, Hinata. You really are kind! Thank you!" Naruto said happily. This is the best time he has had in a long time.

The celebration continued for a couple of hours, everyone enjoying each other's company, telling stories of their time outside of the village recovering.

Tsunade was the first to leave, along with Shikamaru. She left, grumbling about stupid paperwork. After that, everyone slowly made their way out of the room.

"Naruto, who are you staying with after you leave the hospital?" Sakura asked.

"What do you mean, Sakura-chan? I'm going back to my apartment! I never missed that place more,"he said, looking forward to be anywhere that's not the hospital.

"You can't stay by yourself. That's one of the conditions of your discharge. You are going to be having trouble doing simple daily tasks and you will need someone there all of the time,"Sakura stated, dumbfounding Naruto. "And I know that the both of you are still dealing with the phantom pains, even though you say you aren't."

Naruto and Sasuke both looked away, slightly sheepish. They had hoped that she would not have noticed their white lie, not wanting to worry her.

"I am staying with Sakura," Sasuke stated nonchalantly.

"Hm," Sakura nodded, blushing slightly. They had talked about it after the surprise, deciding it would be better that he stay outside of the Uchiha compound for a little while until he decides what to do with it. And with Sakura being a medic, she would be able to help him with the pain at night.

"I already discussed it with Tsunade-sama. I will not be taking too many shifts, only coming in to work on your new prosthetics," she said.

Naruto was a little disappointed, hoping that Sasuke would stay with him, even just temporarily. He was the only one who understood the nightmares plaguing him at night.

Sakura turned to the side, at the sound of plates being thrown in the trash and had a brilliant idea.

"Why don't you stay with Hinata?" she suggested, loud enough for Hinata to hear.

Hinata stopped what she was doing— Naruto and her staring at each other with surprise and concern in both their eyes.

"_Naruto-kun...in the Hyuuga compound. Naruto-kun...sleeping in the Hyuuga compound. Naruto-kun…in night clothes!" _Hinata thought, her regular blush brightened by the idea of Naruto having an extended stay at her home.

"I can't do that to Hinata! She has done so much for me already!" He defended, not wanting to intrude.

"But Hinata has the Byakugan and can help deal with the phantom pains. It has been studied that they can originate from the spinal cord. And she can see that and implement basic medical ninjutstu to alleviate it,"Sakura said, hoping to convince them. "And this is the perfect opportunity for you to practice what we talked about earlier, Hinata."

"_I can't stay with Hinata. I don't want to trouble her more than I already have," _Naruto thought, trying to find a good excuse to not stay with her.

"_Naruto-kun needs help. And Sakura-san is right! I need to help Naruto-kun with whatever I can!" _Hinata thought, determination etched on her face.

"He can stay!" Hinata exclaimed abruptly.

Sakura smiled at Hinata with some gratitude. She was truly concerned about Naruto and his well-being, and she also figured this would be the best way for the two of them to spend some time together. Maybe this way, Hinata would build up the courage to confess, and Naruto would, by Kami's will, be able to see the feelings she has for him.

"_He's so dense, I hope he figures it out!" _Sakura thought to herself.

"Hinata, are you sure? I don't want to intrude. I can definitely handle this on my own, believe it!"

She shook her head vehemently, she would do this, for Naruto. It was the least she could do for him, he saved her in more ways than one.

"It will be fine, Naruto-kun. My family would be more than welcoming, I'm sure of it," Hinata insisted, smiling at him reassuringly. "Hanabi-chan, could you go back home and inform father of the situation. And have Ko prepare a room for Naruto-kun to stay in, please. I will finish tidying up here."

Hanabi nodded and left for the Hyuuga compound.

"It is settled then!" Sakura smiled sweetly at Naruto and sent what looked like a smirk at Hinata.

"Ok Hinata, but only for a little while. You have done too much for me already." Naruto looked at Hinata, grateful to have a friend like her.

"It's no trouble at all, Naruto-kun. Maybe we can go by your apartment and pick up some of your things, to make you feel a little more at home at the compound," she suggested.

"Yea! Good idea Hinata!"

Sasuke and Sakura were on the other side of the room, picking up some plates.

"You really think that's going to work with that blockhead?" Sasuke questioned.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Sasuke-kun. I just figured that Naruto needed a place so stay, and Hinata needed someone to practice her medical ninjutsu on,"she turned to Sasuke and batted her eyes at him innocently. He smirked at her antics, knowing exactly what she was doing.

The four of them quickly cleaned up the conference room and made their way back to their hospital room to finish up their discharge.

"Ok you two. I know that you think that you are all better because you are getting discharged, but that is not the case at all." Sakura was back to her doctor persona, which was always so scary. "You are still very low on chakra, so no training! Only light stretches and exercise and basic katas, got it!"

"Got it!" The boys both answered in unison.

"_She's so scary," _the boys thought.

Hinata giggled in the corner of the room. "Do no worry Sakura-san. I will make sure that Naruto-kun takes it easy while at the compound."

"Hm, good. Thank you Hinata. You guys are all set to go."

"Finally!" The boys whispered together, ready to leave the hospital after what felt like years.

"Um, Naruto-kun. Do you mind stopping somewhere before we leave?"

Naruto mirrored her sad expression and knew where she wanted to go. He has not been able to leave his room this whole time and this would be the first time he would be able to visit.

They made their way to a secluded and secure area of the hospital. The Hyuuga guard on duty looked their way and bowed slightly.

"Hinata-sama, Uzumaki-san, hello. Hokage-sama is in there right now, if you would like to step in," Hyuuga Haru stated.

"Thank you Haru-san," Hinata bowed slightly in thanks for his constant vigilance and knocked softly, letting their presence be known to those in the room.

The window was slightly ajar, letting in the cool night breeze. Monitors were beeping steadily showing signs of life. Tsuande was just finishing her routine check up, sighing in slight exasperation.

"I thought you would be by to come visit as soon as you were discharged." Tsuande smiled at Naruto knowingly. "No changes unfortunately."

Hinata and Naruto both nodded, acknowledging that they heard her, but their focus was on the still figure on hospital bed.

The still figure of Hyuuga Neji.


	5. Chapter 5

Hyuuga Neji laid quietly and unmoving in his hospital bed. The light streaming in through the window basked his face in a marvelous glow. Until further inspection, one could not see all of the dark purple bruises and healing cuts on his normally spotless face.

Hinata and Naruto stood at the end of Neji's bed, just watching him, listening to the monitors-the only indications of life along with his shallow, steady movement of his chest.

Hinata made the first move and made her way to the bathroom. She came back with a small basin and washcloth. She made her way to Neji's bedside and placed the basin on the table, testing the water with her hand before dipping the washcloth. She made this a routine since discovering that her cousin, her dear brother, was indeed still alive. She washed his face, starting at his clear forehead, making her way down to his eyes, nose, cheeks and mouth. The male medics would come and finish after she did most of his upper body and back.

Naruto almost felt like leaving-intruding on such an intimate moment. But, he couldn't take his eyes off of Neji. He looked so vulnerable, so fragile. Hinata handled him with such care.

"_Why wasn't I stronger? I should have been able to save him, to save everyone! I am pathetic and weak!" _Naruto bit his lower lip and squeezed his eyes closed, trying his best to keep his negative emotions in check.

"Please, do not blame yourself, Naruto-kun. Neji would not have blamed you for what occurred. You did the best you could." Hinata could feel the emotions radiating in waves off of Naruto-not needing to turn around to see him struggling. "I just wish that I was stronger. If I had just a bit more chakra, I could have saved him. Sometimes I wish that it was m-," Naruto moved quickly to her side and slammed her into his chest, leaving her breathless.

"Don't. You. Dare," Naruto whispered, his words heavy with intense emotions, some of which he was still trying to decipher. Scenes of the nightmare plaguing him at night played through his head. Hinata bleeding, almost dying for him, Neji bleeding out in front of him because of the Ten Tails. "Neji would not want you to blame yourself for what happened. He cares too much for you to carry such a heavy burden. He will survive this," Naruto said with finality, as if his words would make it true.

Hinata nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. Hinata knew that Neji would not want her to blame herself. He protected her because he loved her, not because of the main and branch family, not because of duty or destiny, but because of love. She detangled herself from Naruto's embrace and revealed a small smile.

"Thank you for that, Naruto-kun. I didn't know that I needed that," she turned toward Neji again and planted a small, chaste kiss on his forehead.

"Tsunade-sama said that there is some brain activity, but not enough to wake Neji-niisan from the coma. There is just activity for his major organs to function. She comes in everyday to run a check. I am also here everyday to wash him and sometimes I help with physical therapy," Hinata stepped back and watched Neji's chest move up and down with his breathing, relieving the rest of her nerves.

Naruto looked at her, confusion etched on his face, so she continued. "Tsunade-sama wants therapy every other day to make sure the muscles do not deteriorate any faster than they already are. It is also to keep the joints lubricated and prevent them from becoming too stiff," she explained. Naruto nodded, confirming his understanding.

"That's amazing Hinata. You're amazing!" Naruto said it so nonchalantly, as if everyone in the world knew this of her. She reacted in her usual way, denial following a quick blush.

"N-no not a-at all, Naruto-kun. I am just trying to h-help where I-I can."

Before Naruto could continue, another medic entered to finish up what Hinata started. They headed out of Neji's room and toward the exit of the hospital. They left and made their way toward Naruto's apartment in comfortable silence. Naruto observed the construction of Konoha. Shops that lined the streets were decimated and were in the process of rebuilding again from scratch. He felt sad, but at the same time, very proud. His village was dealt a devastating blow when Pein came and flattened his village, but the citizens and ninja from all over came to aid them in rebuilding their beloved village.

"It is coming together quite nicely, right Naruto-kun?" Hinata glanced his way, with a small smile.

"Yea it is. I hope that I can help out soon. I want to try and help in the rebuilding as soon as possible," Naruto continued to look around, getting excited to take part in the rebuilding process.

"Of course you do, Naruto-kun. But please be careful. Sakura-san said that you have to take it easy for a while before you can exert yourself," she advised shyly.

"Hehe, y-yea, you're right. Sakura-chan can be scary sometimes," he laughed nervously, reminiscing on his time in the Konoha Hospital. He did not want to end up back there. Hinata tried in vain to stifle her giggle.

"Are you laughing at me, Hinata?" Naruto asked, feigning that his feelings were hurt. This time, she let go, laughing warmly and whole-heartedly, causing an unfamiliar-yet not unwelcome- tingle in his chest.

"Hehe, not at all," she said in between giggles.

They continued on in comfortable silence. They made it to Naruto's apartment in record time. He opened his apartment door and was surprised to see it the cleanest it has ever been.

"Oh, um," Hinata started, nervously, trying her best not to revert back to her academy days quirk. "I hope you don't mind, Naruto-kun. I came over a couple of times while you were away and tidied up a bit. I knew that you were going to be out for a while and thought you could use the assistance."

"Wow! Thanks so much Hinata! But how did you get in my apartment if it was locked?" He asked, taking this opportunity to try and tease her a bit.

Her face grew serious. "Naruto-kun, I am a shinobi. I think I can manage to break into an apartment without anyone knowing."

Sweat started to collect on his brow. He didn't want to insult her skills, he knew how deadly she could be when it came down to it.

"N-n-no, that's not what I meant at all, H-Hinata," he stuttered nervously, waving his one hand defensively.

"Mmhm," she tried in vain to contain her smile and started laughing again.

"Phew," Naruto wiped the sweat that accumulated on his forehead. "Man Hinata. You really had me there."

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I just couldn't help myself," she said in between giggles, wiping a small tear from the corner of her eye. "I asked Iruka-sensei if he had a spare key and he let me in."

"Hehehe, oh ok. You are really funny Hinata. I completely forgot that I gave Iruka-sensei a key in case of emergencies."

"_I never knew that about her. She just pranked the King of Pranks without dropping a sweat," _Naruto thought to himself. He wondered what else he would discover about his friend. He realizes that he doesn't know much about her, like her birthday, her favorite food, hobbies, nothing really. He plans to get to know her better during the time he stays at the Hyuuga compound.

"Do you need help packing a bag, Naruto-kun?" Hinata interrupts his inner musings.

"Nah, I got it. You can sit and relax a bit. I'll be right out."

"Ok," Hinata made her way to his small couch to wait to wait.

Naruto still couldn't believe how clean his whole apartment was as he made his way to his room. He specifically remembered there being dirty clothes laid about his hallway. He opened his closet to see all of his jumpsuits have been washed and hung. He went to his dresser and his t-shirts have been neatly folded, his socks were all matched, his underwear is even fold-

"_Hinata washed my d-dirty underwear!?" _Naruto wasn't sure how he should feel, he was beyond grateful for what Hinata did for him, taking care of his apartment while he was away, or if he should feel embarrassed about her seeing his dirty drawers.

"If you are worried about the clothes, Iruka-sensei actually did the wash, Naruto-kun," Hinata stood at the doorway to his bedroom, calming some of his insecurities.

"_I didn't wash them, but I did technically put them away. I don't think he would have liked the idea of me touching his undergarments!" _

"Oh. Hehe," he nervously scratched at his whiskered cheek.

Hinata saunter passed Naruto to his closet and pulled out a small duffle bag. She smiled shyly at him and began neatly and meticulously packing some of his jumpsuits. He passed her some of his t-shirts to also place in the bag. They finished quickly and made to leave.

"Oh, wait," Hinata stopped and went over to Naruto's balcony. "I figured you might want to take care of them now that you are out of the hospital. And the weather is starting to get a little cold." In her arms, there was a small bonsai tree and a violet succulent.

"Oh yea! Wow, did you take care of these too?" He asked, observing how well his plants were taken care of.

"Yes, of course, Naruto-kun." _I would do anything for you. S_he dare not speak out what she thought.

"Well let's get going then. Got everything I need." Naruto shouldered his duffel bag while held his two plants.

They left and locked the apartment to head over to the Hyuuga compound. Both in their own thoughts, trying to imagine how it will be living together for this short time.

Meanwhile, with the top pink-haired medic and a brooding Uchiha….


	6. Chapter 6

The weather was unusually warm for it being the middle of Autumn. The beautiful oranges, reds, and yellows of the changing leaves was the only indication of the change in seasons in Konoha. Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke walked the slightly busy streets of their village. Many stopped to greet Sakura, recognizing her for her efforts during the Fourth Shinobi War. Some hesitated when recognizing the Uchiha behind her, but many quickly recovered, not wanting to appear rude in front of the medic nin.

"They will get used to you, y'know. It will take some time, but they will warm up to you. Just like they did Naruto." Sakura sensed his awkwardness and discomfort from behind her as she greeted the villagers. They were still apprehensive about the Uchiha. And if it were anyone else, she would be too. The avenging Uchiha abandoned his village, threatened to kill all of the Kage, and then proceeded to attack Naruto after they defeated Kaguya. And let's not mention the part where he tried to kill Sakura.

"Hn," was his only reply.

"I think I can interpret that 'Hn' now. What you mean to say is 'Naruto is an idiot and I will never be like him.'" She teased softly while looking over her shoulder at Sasuke. She had succeeded in leaving the Uchiha utterly speechless, lightening up the mood a bit. Sakura wasn't really one to tease, but, after treating his severe wounds the last few weeks, they grew accustomed to each other's presence.

A minute smirk graced Sakura's lips until she burst with laughter. It reached Sasuke's ears and he could not help but release the smirk he was trying so hard to keep from appearing on his lips.

"Did I just make the ever stoic and brooding Uchiha Sasuke laugh?" She feigned shock, placing a hand over her heart.

"In your dreams, Sakura," he strolled passed her, concealing his face further.

"Mmmhmm," she mumbled, relieved that she was able to alleviate some of the tension building from the stroll through the village.

They continued on in amicable silence, enjoying the weather that was cocooning them in warmth. They reached Sakura's apartment just before the sunset. They walked up to the landing on the top floor. She stood in front of her door, staring at the sunset toward her left.

"This is the reason I chose this apartment. I waited for it to be unoccupied. The sunset is just...breathtaking," she sighed, turning to Sasuke with a close-eyed smile.

The sunset behind her was indeed beautiful, but nothing compared to the ethereal being that stood in front of him. The sun's rays bled into the sky, the colors of the clouds fusing and transitioning from yellow to orange to red and pink until it coalesced into the dark blue night sky. The light reflected off her smooth pale skin, painting it as gold as the sun.

Sakura blushed under Sasuke's close scrutiny, and so did he, being caught ogling one of the only constants in his life.

"Come inside, I'll make us some dinner," her words pushed him out of his trance-like state.

Her apartment was small, but one could tell this was home. You could smell her scent even before the door was completely open-it enveloped you in a warmth so deep the summer heat couldn't even reach. He tried to deny it, fought it tooth and nail, blood and tears for years. But this was home, SHE was home.

"I know that it's not much, but at least you'll have a private room and not have to sleep on Naruto's lumpy couch," she said nervously, hoping her home would be good enough for him, hoping she was good enough for him.

"Thank you Sakura. It's fine," he said, short and to the point. He wasn't used to the feelings swirling around inside him.

"I was able to get some clothes and things from the market sent here earlier today. I wasn't sure if you wanted to go back and get anything."

"_Back? To the compound? She was always one step ahead." _He thought to himself. Of course she thought he wouldn't want to go back there. Back where it all started, with his brother, with his dead clan.

"Thank you, again. I appreciate it."

"Of course. Well, the kitchen is here to the right. And right here on the left is the living room. You can watch whatever you want. I have a few movies there on the shelf. Down the hall is the bathroom. Your room is right next to it. And I'm across the hall. We can start physical therapy and treatment in a few days, after you're all settled in. Please, make yourself at home." She walked the rest of the way into the apartment and closed the door behind him. He decided to see where he will be sleeping and unpack some of the clothes that Sakura managed to get for him.

He made his way to room, peeking at the pictures that lined the walls of her hallway. Some of her and her family, some with Tsunade and Shizune. He stopped at the last picture, of Team 7. That time seemed like such a long time ago. Could they get back to that kind of relationship? How different would things have been if he would have just stayed when she asked, no, begged him to?

"_It's too late now. All I can do is try and redeem myself." _ And he plans on starting with Sakura.

In the kitchen, Sakura was trying to contain her...excitement? Nervousness? She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but Uchiha freaking Sasuke was in her apartment. He was going to live with her until his prosthetic was ready. What if he didn't need her anymore? Would he leave like before? Abandon the village, Naruto...her? She shook her head violently, admonishing herself for her ridiculous and childish thoughts.

"_He's not the same Sasuke. He's not out for revenge, for power, for blood." _

She chastised herself for doubting him. He's a better man than he used to be and she trusted him. She knew that she couldn't doubt him, couldn't risk him going back to the way things were. She would be there for him, in the way she couldn't be before.

"Sasuke-kun," she called down the hall. "Dinner is ready if you're hungry."

Sakura prepared a beef stew with a side of steamed rice and vegetables. She placed everything on the table and turned toward the fridge as Sasuke came from the hall.

"I hope you like the food, Sasuke-kun. I think I have gotten a little better at cooking over the years," she said.

"I am sure it will be fine. Thank you," he said quietly.

She turned from the fridge with a small bowl of cherry tomatoes in hand.

"I hope you still like tomatoes. I grabbed some fresh ones from the market this morning,"she placed the bowl on the table, blushing lightly, searching his face for approval.

He nodded slightly, causing a small grin to appear on Sakura's face.

They ate silently, Sakura asking questions only about his arm and how he is feeling. She wanted so badly to know what was going on inside his head. She really wanted answers-why did he leave, what did he do while he was away...why he didn't take her with him. She was willing to leave and abandon the village with him, for him. She hoped that she would have been enough to make him see the light instead of the darkness. But, she stayed quiet most of dinner, not wanting to delve into the darkness that he still undoubtedly carried in his heart-the regret, pain, and sorrow. She probably would never truly understand who Uchiha Sasuke really was.

After dinner, she picked up the dishes and placed them in the sink to wash. Sasuke helped by bringing his own to the sink. There wasn't really much he could do with a single arm, so he helped by putting away the dishes after Sakura had dried them.

"I have an early morning shift tomorrow, so I will be out till about lunch time. Would you like to meet me for lunch after?" She asked hesitantly, hoping he would be willing to leave the apartment, even for just a bit.

"Hn," was his only reply.

"I will be taking that as a 'yes' then," she giggled lightly at his response. "I am going to take a shower and head to bed then. If you would like a shower, the closet next to the bathroom has clean towels and also clean linen for your room."

She left him in the kitchen and grabbed a clean towel herself and locked herself in the bathroom. Sasuke made his way to one of the shelves lined with books and picked one out.

"_I can't believe he is really home," _she thought happily as she undressed. If she was being honest with herself, she thought she was stuck in Madera's infinite tsukuyomi, while the Ten Tails was draining the world of its chakra. She felt like this was not reality, however, it was. She brought home her childhood crush. Naruto was able to save him from his own pure, unadulterated hatred and darkness, and she was able to heal his physical wounds. And she was hoping that, with time and patience, she would be able to heal his mental and emotional wounds as well.

She turned the faucet to her shower on and waited a moment for the water to warm. Once it was warm enough, she stepped in. The water felt wonderful-soaking her body and relaxing her tense muscles. This was most likely the first time in months, wait, years, that she was fully capable of relaxing.

The water cascaded down her slim, athletic body. Training with Tsunade had its perks. Her arms were muscular but still kept a feminine look. Her legs, she knew, was her best asset. They. Could. Kill. Quite literally. She trained, she trained so hard since Sasuke left. She didn't want to be left behind. She knew she wasn't up to par with Naruto or Sasuke in ninjutsu. No one in the world really was. But, if it was a fight of pure, brute strength and taijutsu, she could kick their asses all day.

She massaged her scalp, letting escape a breathy sigh from the sensations. She would have much rather gone to relax at the new onsen that was built just outside of the village, but she had taken on the responsibility of taking care of Sasuke.

"_Sasuke...maybe I should have asked him if he wanted to go to the onsen. Would he have gone with me? Would I even have the courage to ask him such a bold question." _

She couldn't help where her treacherous thoughts were taking her. Her body began to flush from more than the warm water. She swallowed thickly, trying to rid her mind of the perversion that was slowly taking over her thoughts. She lowered her hands to her neck to massage tight knots that have recently become intolerable. She then grabbed her soap and washcloth. She began at her neck again and slowly descended to her perky breasts.

"Mmmmm," she quickly covered her mouth before she could let out another moan.

"_What am I doing? Sasuke is just outside. I...I can't be doing this sort of thing." _She chastised herself. It wouldn't have been the first, nor the last time, that she pleasures herself. She was a VERY hormonal teenager and it was one of the ways to get her to relax, besides beating on Naruto during training. But thinking about Sasuke just caused a reaction that almost swept her off her feet. She had to finish her bath and get to bed. She wouldn't do this while Sasuke was in her apartment. She just couldn't bring herself to. She quickly passed the washcloth along the rest of her body, trying her best to avoid the way her sensitive skin tingled under her fingers.

But, she couldn't control herself or her thoughts any longer. Her delicate fingers passed over her pert nipples again, causing another sigh to escape her. Her fingers followed the trails the water left behind, slowly descending to her tight stomach, reaching her pink curls that covered her sensitive folds. She bit down on the washcloth as she reached her hypersensitive pearl. She circled it lightly, causing waves of pleasure to flow through her body. She moaned into her washcloth, trying to silence the pleasure racking through her body. She slowly pressed a finger into her folds, coating them in her arousal. She bit down a little harder as she began to glide her finger in and out, palming her nub at the same time. She was so close, so close to reaching her satisfaction. She let her mind be consumed by the sensations, she began to imagine a hand coming up behind her, massaging her left breast, tweaking her pink nipple to an even higher peak. She felt soft lips gently nipple along her neck. Her legs began to shake from exertion, from pleasure. She imagined Sasuke bit down on her pulse point, licking it lightly to sooth it.

"Sakura," a whisper like silk caressed her, sending her over the edge in that instant. Her orgasm wracked through her body like a wave of pure bliss. She continued circling her pearl and rode out her high. She held herself up against the wall of her shower, only slightly disappointed in not finding the Uchiha in the shower with her. She has dreamed of _being with _him, but never has she ever acted on it. Never has she _actually _touched herself while thinking of him.

She stood on wobbly legs, holding herself up against the shower wall again. She finished her shower, ignoring the way her skin tingled under her fleeting touch. She washed herself, ignoring the insistent pulse of her bundle of nerves. She shut off the shower and quickly dried herself off.

"_How am I even supposed to look him in the face now after that?" _She panicked. She didn't think she had the bravado to face Sasuke after what she did. She examined at herself in the mirror, seeing the flush that creeps down her face to her slim neck and to her breasts. She knew that the rest of her body looked the same. "_I'll just go straight to my room. I won't even have to see him." _

She wrapped the towel tightly around her self and made her to the bathroom door. She opened it and peeled out to make sure the hallway was empty. She sighed in relief and turned to turn the light off behind her and close the door. She turned quickly to get to her room and found herself hitting something solid but soft with an "oof." The momentum of her turn caused them to lose their footing and they were falling to the floor.

A single arm was wrapped tightly around her and she dreaded looking up. She was pressed tightly to Sasuke's chest with an arm around her towel-clad waist. She looked up with her bright red cheeks and saw the same red-stricken face on Sasuke.

"Sakura." "Sasuke." They whispered in the same breath.

Author's note:

Thank you all for your patience and for sticking with me through this. I have recently started a part time job, along with my regular full time job, I am exhausted. Not to mention my energetic 3y.o. Please read and review.


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